Han woke up the next morning to someone shaking him. He groggily rolled over.
"Kids go away. It's not even 7 yet." He mumbled into the pillow. He couldn't quite make out their voices through his groggy state, but he didn't care to.
But the shaking persisted, and he heard his wife's groans and complaints. Finally he could start making out their voices.
"Solo get up. Solo! Get up! We need to talk to you guys and NOW!" One of them said.
Han sat up so fast his head collided with the person leaning over him talking to him. The person fell backwards and Han looked at the person on the floor. His brother-in-laws wife, Mara, was sitting on the floor shaking her head, as if trying to clear it.
"Mara?!" Han almost shouted as he jumped out of bed. Thankfully he had at least fallen asleep in his shorts. Not that anyone other than Leia wanted to see him that way that is.
At hearing her sister-in-laws name Leia also sat up, barely missing Luke, who had been shaking his sister to wake her.
"Luke?!" Leia also almost scream. "What are you doing here?!" The look on the couple's faces was priceless, and Mara wished with all her heart that she could have taken a holo-image.
Luke quickly made his way to the other side of the bed and helped his wife up before answering his sister. "We found some information on your guest that you need to read."
"So you came barging in at-" Han looked at his comm. "6:15 in the morning? I don't appreciate that!"
Leia rose also. "Neither do I. And to think that you nearly scared us to death over-" She stopped when her brother put one hand up and the other covering his eyes. "What?" She asked, confused.
Mara sighed. "The big sissy doesn't want to see his twin sister in only a tank top and shorts." She was holding in her laughter with all her might, but she knew if she didn't get out of there she was going to burst. Han in shorts and Leia in a tank top and shorts. It was a sight that would make even Vader laugh.
Leia turned red and grabbed her robe. "Get out! Give us time to change!"
Mara and Luke scrambled over each other trying not to fall over laughing. Their strength lasted only until they reached the bottom of the stairs. After that, they fell into each other laughing.
After around ten minutes, the Solo's descended down the stairs, looking at least half way presentable. The ten minutes had given them time to get dressed, and upset idly gripe about their relatives who were still laughing downstairs. It had also given Luke and Mara time to calm down and stop laughing. although when Han and Leia walked in, they covered their mouths and giggled like school children.
"Oh knock it off you two. You're so immature." Leia said, hitting her brother in the head.
"Ow" Luke wined jokingly, which only earned him another hit on the head from his wife.
"You big baby" She said, leaning back in the chair she was sitting in.
Wanting to be able to get back to bed as soon as possible, Han spoke up. "Alright now what's so all fired important that you woke us up so early and in such a way?" If he could have, he would have walked over and slapped both of them. But for one reason why he couldn't, Leai wouldn't let him. The second reason, Mara would have killed him before he ever laid a hand on her, and that was no joke.
Mara spoke first, using the force to bring in a load of books. "We were going through a certain somebodys library-" She cast a warning glance at her husband that told him that if he said a word. he would regret it. "and I found the entire ""The Girl From Earth" series hidden in the back." Ignoring the looks everyone sent Luke, she continued. But a single thought crossed her mind.
Poor Luke. He looks like he wants to sink into the floor and never show his face again. Pity isn't it? She thought with a chuckle before continuing.
"Anyway, we were skimming through the books, and we came across the part where she makes up her mind whether to stay or not stay. It's quite interesting."
She grabbed one of the old fashioned books and opened it to the right page. she handed it to her sister-in-law.
Leia skimmed over it until she found the spot, and read outloud.
"The vast edges of space. Funny that I'm saying that." Ace said to herself, crossing her arms and leaning on the railing. "I used to say that on Earth when I was daydreaming. But now, I'm really in space. I'm really in a world that I didn't even know existed for real. I thought that these people were just fictional characters. But I was wrong." She laughed quietly. "Boy was I dead wrong. And now I'm living it. But… if I would be faced with the choice to either go back home or stay here, which would I choose? My family and friends lie on one side of the bridge, and the life I've always dreamed of having lies on the other. What ever shall I do?" She chuckled slightly at the dramatic tone in her voice. But she knew that that was a bridge she would have to cross when it came time to. There was no promise that she would even get the choice in the first place. But if it did come along, she wanted to be prepared.
And so she went to bed, to 'sleep on it'. And in the morning, early the next morning, she awoke, her decision make.
"I have to stay. I have to change the fate of time" The girl said to herself more than to anyone. I'll stay."
Leia looked at Mara. "Ok so she stays. But that's in the book. It might be different here."
"Ah, but it isn't" Luke spoke up. "Read the beginning. It's the exact same as what happened yesterday when we met her."
The Solo's read the first chapter of the book, while the Skywalker's watched their reactions, trying not to laugh at their shocked expressions. It was true. The book gave the exact same description of what happened yesterday, and all through this very moment.
When the chapter was through, both Han and Leia looked at each other. This meant that what happened in the books would really come true. Although Leia hadn't read the entire series yet, she knew part. Ace tried to convince Jacen not to turn to the dark side. Mara might die and-
Leia realized that Luke and Mara must not have read the books, judging by the looks of humor on their faces.
"Uh… Thank you guys for bringing these over. I appreciate it." She said, rising. "Do you mind if we borrow these for a while?"
Mara shot a humoured glance at her husband before replying to her sister-in-law. "It's fine with me, but you had better ask your twin. He might miss reading his books from his biggest fandom." Luke turned red and secretly wished that he could choke his wife right now. But he quickly quenched the thought. That was no way for a Jedi to think.
"Yes Leia, you can borrow them. I only read them ONCE, and that was only to see what the hype was about." Luke said rising from his seat. He kindly grabbed his wife's arm, but with a strength that told her she would regret opening her mouth about that. Despite the unspoken threat, Mara was still trying to suppress a laugh.
The Solo's stood also, and after saying their goodbyes, Mara and Luke left. Just as Han and Leia went back to their bedroom with their books, Anakin came into the room.
"Mom? Dad? Who was that?" Their youngest child asked.
"Your aunt and uncle. Go back to bed" Han said, ushering Anakin out.
"But Dad! Wait! I need to tell you something!" He cried. Han, not wanting to wake the whole family, clamped his hand over his son's mouth and brought him back into the room. "What is it?"
"Well I was going through my books, and I found this." Anakin said, holding out a book that neither Han nor Leia had noticed.
Leia took the old fashioned book. "Thank you Anakin. Now please, go back to sleep." She said calmly, sitting in the center of the bed. Her son nodded and left the room. Han sighed a sigh of relief and Leia looked at the book. "A Christmas Carol: A Family Tradition" She said, saying the name of the book in her hands. She nearly laughed.
This whole endeavor had started with here reading this book. And now the answer might lie in it.
Both Han and Leia layed next to each other and started reading their separate books. Han read the first book in the series, and Leia finally got to read the book that had started all of this.
Within the first 20 minutes, Han had fallen back asleep, and was snoring lightly. Leia glanced at him smiling before she turned back to her book and read.